The floodwaters may have receded but the problems that they have left in their wake have not and it seems are not going to anytime soon. The devastating floods of last year would have left the best of administrations gasping for air; it left our woefully unprepared one utterly thwarted. So, while our administrative setup can plead the at-the -mercy-of-Mother Nature defence for their performance last year, they have no argument for the continuation of ineptitude. We, as a people, are the “twice bitten, once shy” kind and learning from mistakes is not our forte.
On Saturday, a canal breach in Mir Wah left more than 500 acres of land inundated. It is feared that an expected rise in the water level could create similar breaches, leading to more despair for the already struggling farmers. The recently published SC flood inquiry report found that dykes across the country were ill-maintained and implicated the machinery of almost all provinces of negligence.
Not only that, it also found that political influence was widely wielded and flood prevention guidelines were violated last year when choosing which dykes to breach. While the politics surrounding such choices will remain contentious (such as in the case of Tori bund or the Shahbaz Airbase), what is uncontentious is that the natural breaches could have been avoided with preventative measures. The Federal Flood Commission has been in place since 1977 but has nada to show for its three decades. The NDMA too has not much on its report card in the wake of the floods. The Irrigation departments of Sindh and Punjab have neglected their jobs – and continue to do so – with reckless abandon. Dyke reconstruction work in Sindh has especially been slow as proved on Saturday. Exacerbating inefficiency is the law-and-order situation courtesy the friendly neighbourhood bhatta-collecting dacoits. On top of that, the Sindh administration has claimed that it was not released the second tranche of the promised 5 billion reconstruction fund on time by federal authorities. Not one issue; a fleet of them.
Flood rehab around the country has been done on a self-help basis. Cash crunches and the enormity of the disaster aside, it is obvious that problems are being amplified due to administrative inertia. This is not some concern that can be relegated to the fringes. Let’s not wait for the day when the water crosses over.
